To the extent there is any buzz about a statewide race in Oregon -- what with the lack of a gubernatorial or U.S. Senate contest this year -- it's focused on the secretary of state race between Democratic incumbent Kate Brown and Republican Knute Buehler.

Buehler has out-raised Brown and is actually the only Republican running for one of the three partisan statewide offices -- which also include attorney general and treasurer -- who actually filed for the office instead of winning the nomination through a write-in candidacy.

But could the closest statewide race actually be a technically non-partisan race between two quite partisan candidates?

That's what Labor Commisssioner Brad Avakian, a Democrat, says about his race against Republican challenger Bruce Starr, a Republican from Hillsboro.

In a Tuesday email soliciting donors for a fundraiser with Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., next week, Avakian's campaign manager, Tory Mallett, began this way:

"The race for Labor Commissioner is the closest statewide race in Oregon."

Avakian, in an interview, said he agrees with that assessment and bases it on two polls, particularly one done back in June by Public Policy Polling that showed him running neck-and-neck with Starr while the Democratic incumbents in the partisan seats all had double-digit leads. (Another poll done for Starr in the Spring had a similar result).

What's particularly noteworthy about Public Policy poll was that most of the voters -- 56 percent -- said they were undecided in the labor commissioner's race.

In contrast, only about 20 percent of voters were undecided in the partisan statewide races.

"I think a lot of folks differentiate between the candidates based on their political party," said Avakian. Without the "D" next to his name -- or an "R" next to Starr's name -- voters are more likely to say they don't know, he added.

And, of course, with Oregon Democratic leanings, that party label is valuable for a guy like Avakian.

Not surprisingly, Starr leaped to agree with his opponent that it's a close race.

Starr said he thinks the closeness involves more than the non-partisan nature of the race.

"Brad has been in office for four years and his name identification is not very good," said Starr.

It's safe to say that Starr isn't particularly well-known either. What's not clear is whether either will be able to afford a significant ad buy close to the election. Avakian is certainly hoping to rouse his contributors by playing up the idea that, unlike at least some of his fellow statewide elected officials, he's in a tough fight.